by Katie Kausch

In celebration of Citizenship Day on Thursday and Constitution Week this week, White House officials announced big changes to the citizenship application process that could affect as many as 8.8 million people.

For one thing, people seeking citizenship can now study for the infamously daunting citizenship exam by taking practice tests on their smartphones.

The test has two parts -- an English proficiency section and a 10-question civics section -- both of which must be passed in order to be naturalized. For those who live in rural areas and might not have access to test-prep centers,the United States Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services is teaming up with the Department of Agriculture to set up temporary immigration support centers to provide services to more people.

At a cost of $680, the test is also expensive. In another improvement to the system, people applying for citizenship can now pay this fee via credit card (previously, you could only pay with a check or money order). This will make it easier for lower-income immigrants to who may not be able to afford the full fee upfront.

Although most immigrants are eligible for citizenship after five years, the average immigrant does not apply for naturalization until their seventh year in America -- something else the administration wants to change. When eligible permanent residents reapply for green cards online, a pop-up will now inform them they’re eligible for citizenship. Television ads with information about the changes will also run, including on several Spanish language channels.

The announcement of changes comes on the heels of Donald Trump’s declaration that, if elected president, he would begin deporting the more than 11 million people who have immigrated to the U.S. illegally. Although the changes only apply to permanent residents who were otherwise eligible for citizenship, if more eligible voters are immigrants, Trump might have a harder time selling his deportation plan.

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With 8.8 million legal immigrants qualifying for citizenship, this push to naturalize them could create millions of new voters in time for the 2016 election. 13.6% of U.S. permanent residents are from Mexico, and 40.4% hail from Asian countries according to the Department of Homeland Security -- both groups that traditionally vote Democrat.

Anjana Sreedhar, a 21-year-old permanent resident and college student who emigrated from India 16 years ago, is cautiously optimistic about the changes.

"Honestly, getting citizenship is always on the back of [my family’s] minds, but I'm not certain that they would necessarily take advantage of this opportunity, especially given how politicized it is," she told MTV News. "I think that this is a great first step which will greatly impact millennial immigrants specifically, but it's hard to know whether or not the measure is sincere because it seems that its express intention is to get votes for the Democrats in the upcoming elections."

"If you are eligible, commit to become a citizen today. It is an important step for you, and an important step for our nation," President Obama said in a video announcing the campaign. "Join us. Together we can make America to stand even stronger."

The changes have not been without their critics, however. "I think it’s healthy for a democracy for people to become citizens," executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, Alfonso Aguilar, told the New York Times yesterday. “Sadly, I think the administration went overboard. A full-fledged campaign from the White House telling people to become a citizen, I think it is politicizing the naturalization process."

In another celebration of Constitution Week, Citizenship and Immigration Services is inviting people to share what citizenship means to them in six words, using the twitter hashtag #citizenship6.